When Times Get Tough, Huddle Together

I read an article about the fact that more elderly are having to use the food banks this season and while it's to be expected that the elderly would be hard hit in all this, it still hurts the heart to hear it.

Here's the deal - it's one thing to sit and read and make comment of it on blogs, it's another to do something about it. It doesn't matter if you are Progressive or Neocon, you know an elder who may need help during all this.

Check on them when it's cold, share leftovers, offer to help them get their groceries, invite them ov...er to spend time, be creative.

Don't know someone, call your local house of worship and ask if there's an elder who might like a friend.

This country is full of intelligent, passionate, innovative people and we CAN make a difference. We just need to do it.

Bill Sparkman Memorial Fund

Few people in this world take the time to make a difference.

Bill Sparkman made a life of it.

He got his degree in education and instead of working somewhere comfortable he chose to help kids in rural southeastern Kentucky. He could have spent his time enjoying his own pursuits but he chose to open his life and his home up when he adopted. And then he went one step further and became a Boy Scout leader and mentored even more kids.

Not long ago, Bill survived a battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Given the numerous medical bills, he had to take on a part time job as a census worker.

In September, Bill was working his part time job when he went missing. His body was discovered near a Clay County cemetery.

A memorial fund has been set up for Bill Sparkman's family. Donations can be made to:

Memorial Fund for William Sparkman Jr.

c/o First National Bank

120 Town Square

Manchester, KY 40962

606-598-6111

Bill Sparkman spent his life making a difference for children, can you spend a few minutes to make a difference for his?

Taking Your Eyes Off The Ball

Since the beginning of this recession in December 2007 we have lost 6.9 million jobs.

Our new president of nine months has been working to reclaim some of those jobs. Some attempts have been successful such as the Cash for Clunkers program which allowed General Motors to recall 1,350 laid off workers.

Some haven't such as attempt to get the Olympics to be held in Chicago in 2016. Had Barack Obama been successful we would have seen jobs in construction, travel, retail, transportation, manufacturing, food service, hotels, translators, IT workers, government workers and first responders. Those who worker in television, radio and entertainment would also have benefitted. People from all walks of life would have benefitted from the new employment.

Such an infusion of jobs could have been just what we needed to help move us out of the recession. At least some of our people would have had the fear of losing their homes and their health coverage placed aside. Some could still send their children to college. Some would not have to go on government assistance.

So why are leading pundits cheering the loss?

It would appear that they cling to their hate of Barack Obama, their need to convince themselves that he will fail in correcting the issues created by the previous administration, thus somehow proving their own superiority, more than they care about the people and families that would have benefitted by the influx of money and jobs into this country.

As people stood in line waiting in unemployment offices or while they packed belongings as they are forced from their homes, the GOP's pundits were cheering the loss of jobs and their cheering at this country's loss tells you all you need to know.

Seeing What They Value At The Values Voters Summit

The politically and religiously ultra-conservative in the US had a convention recently to discuss, basically, where it all went wrong.

Did they identify the problem of leaders lying their people into a false war? Nope, never mentioned. Thou shalt not lie wasn't big on the agenda.

The torture of prisoners of war? Not a word. So much for doing unto others as you would have others do unto you.

Pollution and global warming? Nada. Dominion over the Earth doesn't apparently include cleaning up after yourself.

Poverty, famine, health care? No. "Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!" was not on the radar.

What was on the radar was making men feel manly again.

You heard me.

The BIG problem is, men don't feel right. They don't feel masculine.

And as usual, it's all women's fault. Does this surprise anyone?

Yes, as usual it's the fact that women don't know their place, that's messing everything up, not illegal wars, torturing civilians, poverty, et al.

So what solution do they come up with? Well, according to Pat Fagan, the director of the FRC's Center for Family and Religion, they have determined the three most critical problems: Child education, sex education and control of adolescent health programs. So, for these ultra-conservatives, for a man to feel manly, he needs to control what his children learn about themselves and the world around them and he needs to be able to decide what type of health care they receive. In other words, a man only feels like a man as long as he controls others.

Wrong.

[Two quick asides here - does anyone else see the Dicksonian humor in a man named Fagan wanting to control children's education and how does it give men control to go home school when, for the majority, it's the women doing the home schooling? OK, back to what I was saying.]

Just for the record, no where in Genesis does it mention anyone forcing the apple down Adam's throat. At some point in life, boys, you have to accept that both were conned, both made the bad choice and learn to recognize that the attitude of "Well, Eve did it first." is what really decimates your masculinity. Stop the freaking Biblical blame game and take responsibility for your own behavior.

Being a man, heck, being an adult means recognizing that you are responsible for control of yourself.

Period.

Yes, you teach your child your own belief systems but recognize that when they walk out into the world they are going to make their own decisions and if you teach them what to think instead of how to think, they are going to have real issues. Your children learn more about ethics by watching how you treat people than by you quoting scripture at them. They see the benefits of your belief system when they see you keeping to those tenets and being comfortable with yourselves.

Demanding others hold to your beliefs as you cheat on your wife, denigrate others because of their race or ethnicity, and threaten others because they hold different opinions, doesn't elevate your belief system nor does it heighten one's masculinity.

It just mean's you continue to refuse to take the log out of your own eye.

Tragedy in the Blue Grass

She was an intelligent, accomplished woman, he was the son of a famous governor. Once they were fiances, now apparently they are victim and murderer.

Amanda Ross had taken all the steps you should take if you find yourself in an abusive relationship. She separated from the abuser and got an order of protection. The order even included the extension that Steven Nunn was not to "possess, purchase or attempt to possess, purchase or obtain a firearm during the duration of the order."

So the question is begged - how did Steve Nunn get a gun? When these orders are issued, who handles the follow through? Did police go to his home and confiscate his firearms to make sure he had none in his possession? Was his name placed on the NCIC? Without follow through, this is an empty demand as someone willing to commit domestic violence, physically committing assault on a loved one, is not obviously not the law abiding citizen willing to play by the rules.

And without the information open to the business community, even the most scrupulous gun store owner can be placed in the situation of realizing that he has inadvertantly sold a gun to a murderer.

Kentucky legislators need to re-evaluate the means by which we protect crime victims from the criminals, how we can make sure that when we demand as a society that a criminal have his guns taken away that no matter how well connected he may be, that he not be able to obtain another firearm without alerting police.

We owe it to Amanda.

Job Loss, Pre-existing Conditions and the Health Care Fight

It was one thing when I was hearing the insane rantings from the right about "death panels" and "pulling the plug on Granny" but today I heard something that disturbed me even more - pure, unadulterated selfishness.

In a conversation on health care on Face Book, a friend of a friend stated quite matter of factly that those with pre-existing conditions should be excluded so as not to place at risk "the rest of us". No, she didn't mean a medical quarantine, she was talking about a financial quarantine, i.e., keeping her costs down by only insuring the healthy. It amazed me that someone would so blatantly put her need for a couple of extra latte a month over literally the lives of others.

And then it hit me - these people assume that they will never have a pre-existing condition nor will any of their loved ones. Maybe another aspect of the problem is that they don't know what is considered a pre-existing condition to the insurance companies.

So I found the Medical Underwriters Guide for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas and Vista of Florida had a little looksie.

Do you have headaches? Migraines? Guess what, lose you coverage and you'll have a bigger headache trying to find coverage.

Blood pressure problems - high or low, doesn't matter. It's enough to deny you.

If you have children you may want to look at the list because if your kids have any of these things, they won't be able to get coverage:

ADD/ADHD;
Has your child suffered with severe acne? Well teasing and lack of dates won't be their only problem;
Eating Disorder;
If they have been treated for chemical dependency they can't get coverage for 10 years;
If your child plays a contact sport and has ever had a concussion or a torn knee ligaments, forget insurance;
Chronic Bronchitis;
Cerebral Palsy;
Cleft Palate;
Club foot;
Down's Syndrome;
Epilepsy;
Febrile seizures;
If your child was ever treated for scoliosis or curvature of the spine, they can kiss goodbye getting insurance when they become an adult.
Anything on the autism spectrum;
Chronic earaches aka mastoiditis as a child, sorry, they can and will be rejected;
and Heaven forbid you have a premature baby.

Ladies, let's look at your situations now. Have you ever had a miscarriage or etopic pregnancy? Fibroid tumors? Infertile? Well, here's insult to injury, they can deny you for that. And you know those breast implants you got for the hubby? Well, you better hope his insurance keeps covering you because those D cups could cost you more than the surgeon's bill.

Guys, I'm not leaving you out. You know those little blue pills that are supposed to make you popular? They don't make you popular with the insurance company. They'll deny you for impotency. And, in case you didn't need the little pills but you still may be in trouble because if you were ever treated for an STD, you can be denied. And you know that "going problem" they talk about on TV, well, if you are diagnosed with chronic prostatis, you're going to have another problem - finding insurance.

Ever been to a chiropractor for spinal manipulation? Well, guess whose going to manipulate you now if you lose your coverage. And even if you never see a chiroprator for your chronic back problems, the fact that you have chronic back problems will keep you from getting insurance.

Have you tried to stay healthy and active? Well, if you tore your knee ligament or have been diagnosed with carpel tunnel, sorry, all those good works were for naught and you'd better pray you stay healthy. And if you attempt to correct previous bad habits, forget it.

Ever had surgery that required a blood transfusion (Don't just assume removal of organs, think plastic surgery, oral surgery, etc.), well, that pint or two will have to last you because if you lose your coverage, it may be the last ones you can afford.

And if this list is enough to make you dizzy, whatever you do, keep it to yourself or it will cost you your chance at health insurance.


Don't want the government telling you what you can and can't do? That's OK, the insurance companies are already doing that. They will tell you how thin you can be, how heavy you can be, when you can start your family, and what jobs you can take.

Go over the lists for yourself and try to think of those members of the family that would be effected if they lost their benefits.

Then ask yourself if you can afford to not support health care reform.

Ted Kennedy - Promises Made and Promises Kept

It's often said that the runt of a litter has the most to prove and thus either acquires the greatest heart or dies.

This was never more true than with Ted Kennedy.

Being the youngest in a family like the Kennedys' couldn't have been easy with so much to live up to. No one would have been surprised if Ted had hung to the back and led a pampered existence. But that wasn't Ted.

He could have kept to himself after having a childhood where he not only constantly moved but had to deal with the death of not just one sibling but two. But he didn't, because that wasn't Ted.

After losing two more brothers to assassination, being severely injured in a plane crash and being responsible for a car crash that took the life of a young woman, most people would have retired from public life. But that wasn't Ted's style.

Ted Kennedy worked to pass over 300 bills on issues from civil rights, apartheid, rights for the disabled, mental health and health care.

And when he was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, he could have just taken to his bed and given up. But that wasn't the way that Ted Kennedy lived his life. Up until the end, he worked to make sure that Americans had fair and equitable health care.

For much of his life, Ted may have felt that he stood in the shadow of his brothers. But, in the fullness of time, we have seen that while Joe was the promise, John, the spirit, Bobby, the brains, Ted, was very much the heart.

And so, as we say goodbye we make the promise that Ted Kennedy made to us - we won't hold back, we won't quit and we won't forget.

Update on Geoff Davis story: Yep, he's lying and he'll call your house to do it.

Well, the answer is in, and no one is suprised.

Actually, I am surprised. You see today I got a call from Geoff Davis's office in Washington.

A dear staffer who sounded all of 17 called because of my concern about the Lewin Group and she wanted to assure me that my fears were unfounded. You see, according to young staffer, Amanda, the Lewin Group is completely bipartisan.

I attempted to explain to the staffer that the problem wasn't whether the group was previously bipartisan, which it was when it was owned by Larry Lewin. The problem I had was that the study done by the group, which is now owned by UnitedHealth, was that the study was biased because the study was done by insurance company employees, paid for by insurance company monies and, surprise, didn't like a bill which would severely curtail practices which, while making the insurance companies money, gravely injure the insured individuals.

She wasn't listening, she was just paid to call and read the script. And while she may not know the difference, I have no question that Davis does. And was still willing to call a constituent and hope that BS would fly.

Geoff Davis has made, according to OpenSecrets.org, $339,950 from the Insurance lobby. I guess that's enough to pay to have someone call and lie to constituents personally.

I guess being from Canada he's not familiar with the old line, "Don't relieve yourself on me and tell me it's raining."

Response to the Latest Email on Health Care

I got an email today concerning the health care bill. Supposedly, a professor from Duke and a physician from Indiana had gone through this bill and pointed out the flaws in the bill.

Yeah, right. The whole thing is rife with lies and half-truths and says more about the writer's xenophobia, fear of the minority vote and attitudes towards the elderly. The writer prays that people will not take time to read the bill for themselves and ask questions.

I responded to the email by copying it and going through each point and explaining what the bill actually says. I have included said email. The original email is in black, my comments are in green.



This is too important to not investigate yourself. I'm including a copy of the bill so you can read for yourself that these people are just trying to scare you and hoping you don’t fact check what they are telling you.

Read it from the actual Congressional site.

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/AAHCA09001xml.pdf

Subject: Fw: HEATHCARE FACTS THAT THE ADM WILL NOT ADMIT TO!!

.... line numbers straight from the bill in question. I think the individuals below (one is a professor at Duke and another is a practicing physician inIndiana) do a good job at breaking down some of the most important pieces in this healthcare reform bill for those looking for the truth. It’s important that all Americans know the facts about the "change" that is trying to be pushed through in Washington before it’s too late…

Please see the attached summary of House Bill 3200 that was put together by a Duke Professor.

http://www.classicalideals.com/HR3200.htm

This list was compiled from a physician who read the over 1,000 page bill!> >>

Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self insure!! Page 22 talks about commissioning a study on the effect of companies who self insure.

Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
The Health Benefits committee will be made up of doctors and their responsibility will be to help establish the benefit standards. This is no different than what the insurance company does, except that the insurance company had no medical training and is looking out for their stockholders.

Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Actually page 28 discusses what things are covered outright and page 29 explains the capping of co-payment.

Page 42 of HC Bill:The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC Benefits for you. You have no choice!
The Commissioner's duties are to make sure that the insurance companies are living up to the standards set which include (these are listed at the front of the bill.) that companies can not jack up their fees because you get sick, they will have to cover essential medical needs and they cannot reject or drop you because of a pre-existing condition.

Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise The section merely states that health care providers can not discriminate against anyone. It does not actively discuss coverage of non-citizens.

Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals finances & a National ID Healthcard will be issued!
This section doesn’t even discuss individual’s finances – it discusses setting the standards for the bookkeeping and the administrative record keeping.

Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to you ur banks accounts for elective funds transfer.
It’s saying that it will be set so that you can pay electronically just like you can the phone co. or the electric company.

Page 65 Sec 164: is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions & community organizations: (ACORN).
This is providing coverage for individuals who are retired but don’t qualify for Medicare ie, their company was going out of business and they had to take an early retirement.

Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the Exchange.
The insurance company’s plans, if they want to be considered as qualified, will have to insure that essentials are covered, that co-pays and deductibles don’t go over a certain amount and that they don’t reject or drop someone for a pre-existing condition.

Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration your Healthcare!
There will be three levels of care: basic, enhanced and premium. You choose what is best for you and this discusses what is in each level. It’s no more rationing than what the insurance company’s do now with insurance options.

Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. Example - Translation: illegal aliens.
This Dr. Lewis really is trying to pull the strings with illegal aliens. There are tons of individuals who are in this country legally, work visas, student visas etc. who still have trouble with the language. Heck, medical terminology is rough for anyone who speaks English let alone if it’s your second language, especially when you’re sick. This just makes sure that if you’re in need of medical care you can communicate the information you need to and understand what’s being done.

Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Nope, doesn’t even say that.

Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. AARP members - your Health care WILL be rationed.
If it actually said that would AARP be approving this plan? By the way, page 85 just discusses the three tiered levels, no rationing.

Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid Eligible Individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.
BS, simple BS. I quote: The Commissioner shall provide for a process under which an individual who is described in section 202(d)(3) and has not elected to enroll in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan is automatically enrolled under Medicaid.

Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what you can make! (salary)
This is talking about the fees that the doctors get from the public insurance, just like the fees they get from Medicaid or Medicare.

Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE!
That’s not what it says. AUTOENROLLMENT OF EMPLOYEES.—The employer provides for autoenrollment of the employee in accordance with subsection (c). The employer has to provide the means for people to enroll and not necessarily to the public option.

Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part time employees AND their families.
The employer’s contribution is based on how many hours the person works. They fewer hours they work, the less the employer’s contribution.

Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
If an employer isn’t contributing to the insurance directly, then it’s only fair he put money into the Insurance Exchange Fund since everyone else would be paying for his employees otherwise. And since small businesses tend to pay 10% in HC, he’s actually coming out better.

Page 150 Lines 9-13: Business's with payroll btw 251k & 401k who doesn't provide public option pays 2-6% tax on all payroll. There’s a sliding scale of payment for small businesses.

Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.
So, for every hundred dollars you make, you’d pay $2.50 for healthcare. Doesn’t sound bad to me.

Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay)
Quote: An alien who is visiting a country (which is foreign to him/her) may be called a nonresident alien of that country. This is a subset of the aforementioned legal alien category. It’s saying that we can’t tax the tourists, folks.

Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans finances /personal records.
In order to see if you qualify for the sliding scale, they look at the same information as is given on your tax forms. Nothing more.

Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax" Yes, it says that!
Don’t you love it when they give you part of a quote? It says that the surcharge on high-income individuals ($350,000 or more) can’t be counted as a tax for the purpose of a tax credit.

Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors, low income and poor are affected.
This was definitely one of those times when they should have used a writer instead of a lawyer – this line is hideously written. In computing the fee schedules it’s deciding which services to include in the computation. Nothing about negatively effecting seniors, low income or the poor.

Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors, doesn't matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same!
Obviously whoever read this didn’t keep reading to page 244 where it discusses ‘Computation of allowed and actual expenditures based on service categories’ Now if you were all getting paid the same, why would they need service categories?

Page 253 Line 10-18: Govt sets value of Doctor's time, proffession, judgment etc. Literally value of humans. Which they do already with Medicaid and Medicare.

Page 265 Sec 1131: Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries.
Those that provide better care get increased fees.

Page 268 Sec 1141: Federal Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Oh please – it’s just saying that wheelchairs are covered the insurance.

Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
This section discusses doing a study to see if costs are higher at a cancer hospital as opposed to a regular hospital.

Page 280 Sec 1151: The Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever Govt deems preventable re-admissions.
Yeah, if a hospital releases you too early and you have to be readmitted, you shouldn’t have to pay to be re-admitted. It keeps the hospitals from shoving you out before you’re well.

Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -Govt will penalize you.
ER doctor sends you home saying you have heartburn and you get re-admitted two days later and it’s gall stones, then yeah, he gets penalized. I don’t have a problem with that.

Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells Doctors what/how much they can own!
What it actually says is that it’s not fair for doctors in rural areas to own the hospitals where they are referring people. It puts them in a position where they are thinking more of their bottom line than the care of the patient.

Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand.
It prohibits loans between hospitals and doctors so that neither will be beholding to the other. This would prevent doctors feeling obliged to send patients to only one hospital and prevent hospitals from having to keep bad doctors because they owe him money.

Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. Can u say ACORN?!!
Community input means just that, input from the folks in the community. Not just ACORN, even if you have them in the area, but everybody.

Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: Govt mandates establishment of outcome based measures. HC the way they want. Rationing.
Doctors and hospitals will be scored based on the quality of their care ie, rates of re-admission, use of preventative medicine, patient mortality after surgery and survival of patients with chronic diseases. Based on these scores people can determine what doctors and hospitals they want to use. That’s not rationing.

Page 341 Lines 3-9: Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. Forcing people into Govt plan.
Remember me discussing how an insurance plan had to meet certain guidelines about price, coverage of essential elements and not dropping people due to pre-existing conditions. If a plan doesn’t met those guidelines, they don’t qualify.

Page 354 Sec 1177: Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs people! Unbelievable! Actually what’s unbelievable is it’s really discussing the fact that there’s a limitation on enrollment outside of the enrollment period and that they are moving that limitation forward two years.

Page 379 Sec 1191: Govt creates more bureaucracy - Tele-health Advisory Committee. Can you say HC by phone?
Can you say allow people who live in extremely rural areas to talk to a medical professional and ask questions before they drive 25 miles to the nearest clinic?

Page 425 Lines 4-12: Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think Senior Citizens end of life patients.
This one really makes me mad. There’s nothing wrong with your insurance paying for you to have a consultation with your doctor so that you can make your decisions known whether you want to be on life support if you’re brain dead, who will be your power of attorney if you can’t take care of yourself. It’s making those decisions before you get sick so your family doesn’t have to question what to do when you do get sick.

Page 425 Lines 17-19: Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!
Wrong, insurance will pay for you to have a consultation with your physician. And you can update your living will every 5 years since your circumstances change and they will pay for that as well. But the decisions you make are yours.

Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: Govt provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death. (assisted suicide)
They are talking about nursing homes and hospices.

Page 427 Lines 15-24: Govt mandates program for orders for end of life. The Govt has a say in how your life ends.
No, it just says that once you’ve made your end of life decisions (living will, health care proxy, power of attorney) that that information will be on file so that all your providers know so that no one is out of the loop.

Page 429 Lines 1-9: An "advanced care planning consultant" will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates.
This means that if you develop a life threatening illness within that 5 year period you can utilize the consultant ahead of time and it will still be paid for.

Page 429 Lines 10-12: "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from GOVT!
This man may claim to be a professor but his reading comprehension is pathetic. Quote: A consultation under this subsection may include the formulation of an order regarding life sustaining treatment or a similar order. In other words if you have to utilize the consultant ahead of time this consultation may include you discussing your living will.

Page 429 Lines 13-25: The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.
Nope, it makes sure that your end of life preferences are known to your doctors and hospitals.

Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life! These are your preferences concerning level of treatment, not the governments.

Page 469: Community Based Home Medical Services = Non profit organizations. Hello, ACORN Medical Services here!!?
Hello, Home Health/Caregivers ACORN is a group that is interested in voter registration, they aren’t medical professionals.

Page 472 Lines 14-17: PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORIGINATION. 1 monthly payment 2 a community-based organization. Like ACORN?
No, it say specifically home health agencies will be paid once a month.

Page 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which means they will insert Govt into your marriage.
Is Aetna inserted into your marriage? Blue Cross/Blue Shield? It’s just saying the public coverage will cover therapy just like the private.

Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, rationing those services.
No mention of rationing, again.

McConnell: Whatever it is, I'm against it!

Although not surprising, it's distressing to hear that Mitch McConnell has proudly made it known that he has not seen fit to read the health care reform bill known as "America's Affordable Health Choices of 2009". G-d forbid he read something he might like.

Now, a rational human being would READ a bill before spending so much time and effort into attempting to preventing the bill from going through, you know, just in case it actually would do some good for the people he's supposed to represent. Especially since 15% of Kentuckians are without health insurance and those with health insurance have seen the premiums go up 61% since 2000.

Instead, good old Mitch has spent his time encouraging the wild myths and suggesting that we should all just sit back and stop whining if organized thugs attempt to prevent civil discourse by threatening and committing violence.

You see, this isn't about the fact that a quarter of Kentuckians spend over 10% of their income on insurance that doesn't cover the basics or can be jerked away if they become seriously ill to Mitch McConnell. It's not about the Kentuckians who have to declare bankrupsy due to medical costs. It's not even about the Kentuckians who lose their lives because they couldn't afford the health care they needed.

To Mitch McConnell, it's all about the game - if his party isn't on top, you simply dig in, offer no solutions of your own and make sure that the other party can't get anything done so that you can complain about them next election.

Only, this isn't a game. These are real people living in Kentucky, real people suffering and dying in Kentucky.

Real people who deserve a Senator who doesn't use their lives and deaths as game pieces.